


Abandoned

by sugarandspace



Series: Whumptober 2019 [26]
Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Gen, M/M, Nightmares
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-28
Updated: 2019-10-28
Packaged: 2021-01-05 22:34:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 784
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21216152
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sugarandspace/pseuds/sugarandspace
Summary: “Prometo que seré bueno,” Rafael said in a distressed tone. “No me dejes aquí.”Alec looked at Magnus then, his expression worried and questioning. Alec had learnt some Spanish for his son but they mostly communicated in English. Rafael was skilled in it and only reverted to Spanish when he was nervous or scared.





	Abandoned

**Author's Note:**

> I got help with the Spanish translations but she wished to stay anonymous. If you're reading this I want to say thank you!!!

“Daddy, papa, no!”

The scream woke up both of the fathers and they rushed to their son’s room, a hundred different dangers on their minds. What they did find was less dangerous, but heartbreaking nonetheless.

Rafael was stuck in his sheets, tossing and turning as he was obviously having a nightmare.

Magnus snapped his fingers and the lights turned on, and both of them made their way to Rafael’s bed, sitting on different sides of it.

Nightmares weren’t uncommon, but there had been less and less of them lately as Rafael adjusted to his life with them. It had been weeks since he’d had a nightmare that caused such a strong reaction.

“No me dejes por favor,” Rafael mumbled. There were no signs of waking up, even though the room was now brightly lit. The nightmare’s hold was too strong.

“Rafael,” Magnus cooed, carefully brushing his fingers down the side of his son’s sweaty face. “Sweetie you need to wake up.”

His eyes didn’t open, and the only reaction was a small whine.

“Prometo que seré bueno,” Rafael said in a distressed tone. “No me dejes aquí.”

Alec looked at Magnus then, his expression worried and questioning. Alec had learnt some Spanish for his son but they mostly communicated in English. Rafael was skilled in it and only reverted to Spanish when he was nervous or scared.

“I promise to be good,” Magnus echoed the words sadly. “Don’t leave me here.”

Alec turned to look at Rafael and took his hand, brushing his thumb along the back of his palm gently while Magnus tried to coax him awake.

“You are not alone,” Magnus said softly, brushing Rafael’s hair out of his forehead. “You’ll never have to be alone again. You need to wake up Rafe. It’s only a dream.”

Rafael’s eyes snapped open and Magnus moved his hand away, afraid that Rafael would feel trapped. They watched as Rafael’s eyes scanned the room and he slowly got his bearings back. As he did the panic turned to crying.

Magnus pulled Rafael into a sitting position and held him close, and his small arms wrapped around Magnus, holding tightly onto the fabric of Magnus’ sleep shirt.

“It’s okay,” Magnus murmured. “It was just a dream.”

They waited for Rafael to calm down. Magnus held him close while Alec brushed his hand up and down his back, and slowly the sobs quieted down.

“Do you want to talk about it?” Alec asked carefully. They both knew that talking would do Rafael good, but neither was going to push tonight.

“I did bad,” Rafael said as he pulled back enough to be able to look at his fathers. “You didn’t want me anymore and you left me on the streets.”

“Rafael,” Magnus breathed out. He’d had an idea that it might have been something like that but hearing it out loud hurt so much more.

Rafael looked down and Magnus didn’t know if he was embarrassed or worried.

Magnus was going to reply, but Alec was faster. 

“There’s nothing in this world that you could do that would make us abandon you,” he said, lifting Rafael’s chin gently so that he was looking at them again. “You hear me? Nothing.”

“You’re here to stay,” Magnus agreed. He knew that it would take some time for Rafael to really believe it when he’d spent most of his young life alone. Magnus didn’t care, he’d remind him every day if needed.

“What is happening?” 

Everyone looked at the door where Max stood, adorably sleepy but curious to know why the rest of his family was awake in the middle of the night.

“Rafe had a bad dream,” Alec told the toddler.

“Do you boys want to sleep the rest of the night in our bed?” Magnus asked to which the boys agreed immediately - Max a bit more eagerly than Rafael.

“A sleepover!” Max exclaimed and ran out of the room. “I’m going to get my teddy!”

The other three watched the blue boy disappear behind the corner before they stood. 

“Are you okay?” Magnus asked Rafael. The boy was smiling at his brother’s antics but there were still clear signs of crying on his face. Rafael didn’t say anything but he nodded and took Alec’s hand, a brown bunny on his other hand.

This kind of quietness wasn’t unusual for Rafael, and Magnus didn’t worry. It was late and they all needed rest. They could talk about the dream more in the morning over delicious french toast.

What mattered the most was that Rafael knew that he was loved, and as long as his family had anything to say about it, he was never going to be alone again.

**Author's Note:**

> Like Magnus already translated:
> 
> Prometo que seré bueno = I promise to be good  
No me dejes aquí = don't leave me here
> 
> also  
No me dejes por favor = don't leave me please


End file.
